Breeding hiarachy

[BabyBantam]

Just an interesting thought.... Do chickens have a breeding hiarachy? I ask as (stunningly) Nancy has gone broody for the first time ever! She's such a Tom boy, that I doubted it would ever happen, but there she is, tucked quietly into the corner of the nest box, pouncing happily on Tricksy's eggs with a little crow of delight I've not had the heart to do anything to put her off, just remove her from the nest trice a day and make sure she eats and drinks before suddenly squawking as if late for a bus and running at full pelt across the garden back to her beloved warm spot ( now minus egg).
Fifi has taken to the nest box too, although a completely different kettle of broody. She sounds like a banshee, top volume and fishwife extraordinaire. Total contrast to her usual ladylike demeanour and gentle voice. All I need now is for tricksy to go the same way and I'll have 3 tea cosys lined up on the kitchen table for breakfast with me each morning.
Anyway, back to the question... Nancy stands above Fifi in the pecking order, so if I had a cockerel, would one win over the other as being more likely to be trodden by the cock and would the lower chicken, in this case Fifi, naturally not want to be mum or maybe even get ousted from the clutch by nancy once she found out Fifi had eggs?
I sadly don't have the kit to make a broody pen, but was pondering this question as I returned from step daughters house, who has chicks that look very much like punk rockers (silky pekin cross I think) and wondered who out of the 2 broodies i would best choose to be a mum.

 

[Clansman]

They'll all want to be mums, irrespective of the pecking order.

If there is only one nest box then the highest ranked hen will get it but that won't stop the desire of the others to raise their own chicks, just make it more difficult.

No cockerel will be concerned about the pecking order, his sole aim in life is to tread as many hens as he can as often as he can

 

[foxy]

Although it has to be said that cockerels often have a favourite hen, I don't know why that may be, but if I spot that one of my boys favours one hen in particular, I keep a close eye to ensure she doesn't get too much attention, especially important for the large fowl I have here as they can do a fair bit of damage to large soft feather heavies!

 

[BabyBantam]

No cockerel will be concerned about the pecking order, his sole aim in life is to tread as many hens as he can as often as he can

why am I not surprised. Interesting about the nest boxes, as it seems to be Nancy who's quiet, who's being squashed into a corner by Fifi and today, even Tricksy didn't want to cross the wrath of the banshee and laid in another corner of the house.

Would love to allow them both to be mums, but not got the means for any of them to sit, so continue to rudely throw them out of the box.

 

[Clansman]

I remember my mother being heartbroken years ago when I told her the hens were laying eggs to try and hatch out their chicks and that when we take the eggs away they just keep trying.

She thought they were just laying the eggs for us!

 

[chrismahon]

That story made me smile Clansman.

There is, in my experience, no hierarchy to broodies. But the top hens are more likely to succeed as they won't be bullied out of their nest (box). Only the top hen's offspring can become the future top hen in a natural flock. We lost our top Orpington hen (with no offspring) and 3 years later one of the original flock is now taking a lead role (over 7 years old now), but she is clearly still not that happy about it.

I have noticed the bottom hens are most often broody and they get the most attention from the cockerel as they are the most submissive. Not the best breeding route.